Song of Solomon 8

1 Oh that thou wert as my brother, That sucked the breasts of my mother! Should I find thee without, I would kiss thee; And they would not despise me.

How I wish you were like a brother to me, one who nursed at my mother's breasts! Then if I met you on the street I could kiss you and no one would tell me off.

2 I would lead thee, bring thee into my mother's house; Thou wouldest instruct me: I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine, Of the juice of my pomegranate.

Then I could take you home to my mother's house, where she used to teach me. I would give you spiced wine to drink from the juice of my pomegranate.

3 His left hand would be under my head, And his right hand embrace me.

He supports my head with his left hand, and holds me close with his right.

4 I charge you, daughters of Jerusalem, ...Why should ye stir up, why awake [my] love, till he please?

Women of Jerusalem, swear to me that you won't disturb our love until the right time.

5 Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, Leaning upon her beloved? I awoke thee under the apple-tree: There thy mother brought thee forth; There she brought thee forth [that] bore thee.

Who is this coming in from the wilderness holding her love close to her? Woman: I woke you up under the apple tree where your mother conceived you, and where she gave birth to you.

6 Set me as a seal upon thy heart, As a seal upon thine arm: For love is strong as death; Jealousy is cruel as Sheol: The flashes thereof are flashes of fire, Flames of Jah. (Sheol h7585)

Stamp my name as a seal on your heart, like a seal on your arm, for love is strong as death, passion as unyielding as the grave—its arrows flash like fire, a blazing flame of the Lord. (Sheol h7585)

7 Many waters cannot quench love, Neither do the floods drown it: Even if a man gave all the substance of his house for love, It would utterly be contemned.

Floods of water cannot extinguish love; rivers cannot submerge it. If a man offered everything he owned in order to buy love he would be completely rejected.

8 We have a little sister, And she hath no breasts: What shall we do for our sister In the day when she shall be spoken for? —

We have a younger sister whose breasts are still small. What shall we do for our sister when someone asks to marry her?

9 If she be a wall, We will build upon her a turret of silver; And if she be a door, We will enclose her with boards of cedar.

If she is a wall, we will build a silver tower on it. But if she is a door, we will bar the way with cedar planks.

10 I am a wall, and my breasts like towers; Then was I in his eyes as one that findeth peace.

I am a wall, and my breasts are like towers. So when he looks at me he's happy!

11 Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-hamon: He let out the vineyard unto keepers; Every one for the fruit thereof was to bring a thousand silver-pieces.

Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-hamon which he leased to tenant farmers. Each of them paid him one thousand silver coins for the fruit it produced.

12 My vineyard, which is mine, is before me: The thousand [silver-pieces] be to thee, Solomon; And to the keepers of its fruit, two hundred.

But I own my vineyard, it is mine alone. One thousand silver coins are for you, Solomon, and two hundred for those who look after it.

13 Thou that dwellest in the gardens, The companions hearken to thy voice: Let me hear [it].

My darling, sitting there in the gardens with companions listening to you—please talk to me!

14 Haste, my beloved, And be thou like a gazelle or a young hart Upon the mountains of spices.

Come quickly, my love! Be like a gazelle or a young deer on the mountains of spices.